Oregon Swallowtail Butterfly -- Papilio machaon oregonius
****Shipping to OR, WA, ID and MT only. Any orders placed shipping outside of these states will be cancelled without explanation. Our sincere apologies about this :(
****Available again in November 2026 around Thanksgiving
The official state insect of Oregon, this is a fairly common butterfly if you know where to look but rarely numerous in the Columbia River Basin. It thrives in east side desert habitats and basalt canyons along streams, ephemeral creeks and valleys where wild tarragon is common.
There are several broods within the region, with the last overwintering as pupae in September/October to eclose (hatch) as fresh adult butterflies in April/May.
Sub-species fly throughout the Northern Hemisphere, with populations in Europe and Asia. It is also referred to as the Old World Swallowtail. However, only our western North American subspecies use wild tarragon as a primary host plant.
It's one of our favourite butterflies :)
Item Details:
- You will receive one Oregon Swallowtail chrysalis, inspected for quality and weight before shipping.
- Chrysalis will overwintering, with eclosion in Spring 2027.
- We guarantee shipping a live chrysalis. Because this is a live animal, there are no other guarantees after shipment.
- We recommend ordering two (2) or more chrysalids, as occasionally one won't make it through. This is rare, but does occur in nature from time to time.
General Directions:
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On arrival (Around Thanksgiving/End of November), place the pupae into a sealed container and into the refrigerator.
- Keep in the fridge at approximately 38F, venting monthly for a few minutes and removing any visible moisture.
- Remove from fridge in spring, about 3 weeks prior to the natural flight of this species in the region. We typically remove Two Tailed pupae around the end of May.
- Place pupae in pop-up tent (also available on our site) on a layer of paper towel. Do not mist. Two Tailed pupae prefer a dry environment.
- The butterfly should eclose (hatch) in 3-6 weeks.
- Wild release only in Oregon.
- There are many resources and online groups to handle questions about live butterflies and pupae care. Send us an email if you get stuck :)
More in depth instructions and discussion:
